In an Australian first, a joint project between Curtin University of Technology and the State Health Research Advisory Council (SHRAC) has shown that early intense therapy can significantly benefit the communication recovery of stroke patients.<\/p>\n
Dr Erin Godecke, from Curtin\u2019s School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, who completed this research for her PhD, said intense early stage therapy could also reduce the need for future health services.<\/p>\n
\u201cStroke survivors often suffer a breakdown in their communication abilities, known as aphasia, and receive very limited therapy for this condition,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAphasia affects a person\u2019s speech production, comprehension, and reading and writing abilities which can be extremely frustrating.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsual care intervention for aphasia in the early recovery phase involves an average of only 11 minutes of therapy per week.<\/p>\n
\u201cRehabilitation for this condition is ad-hoc and usually takes place later in the recovery process, losing valuable time in the neurorecovery process.<\/p>\n
This research has found that patients who receive intense therapy at an early stage after a stroke use more words and have a better vocabulary in addition to having improved comprehension scores and verbal output.\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of Dr Godecke\u2019s ongoing study, stroke survivors were given five hours of therapy per week on either a one-on-one or small group basis.<\/p>\n
\u201cStroke survivors with aphasia can be left with severe disabilities and are up to three times more likely to suffer from depression,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot all stroke survivors are assessed for communication difficulties at an early stage and as a result, these survivors do not have the opportunity to take the best advantage of the pivotal early neuro-recovery period.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur study has found that the treatment patients receive improves their communication abilities and also helps their quality of life.<\/p>\n
Dr Godecke\u2019s PhD research was the pilot study that led to the early intervention program funded by\u00a0 SHRAC.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal is to improve stroke services in WA and provide stroke survivors with the right intervention, in the right place, at the right time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarly intensive treatment for aphasia is not being investigated anywhere in Australia, and patients can benefit from using their communication abilities in a supportive treatment environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe program encourages a \u2018use it\u2019 or \u2018lose it\u2019 approach to intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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